Mitrastemon

Mitrastemon is the only plant genus of the mono- generic family of Mitrastemonaceae within the order of heather -like ( Ericales ), with only two species. Mitrastemon species are root parasites; their hosts are Fagaceae ( Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Quercus, Trigonobalanus ).

Description

Mitrastemon species are loosely holoparasites chlorophyll, root endoparasites with filamentous " root system " that completely penetrates the root of the host. Your hosts are species of the family Fagaceae: there are reports of Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Quercus and Trigonobalanus. There are perennial herbaceous plants. The leaves are dekussiert or whorls three to seven ( to 24) pairs on the stems arranged and are getting bigger at the top. The leaves are reduced sitting and scale-like. They are creamy white or milky yellowish white in the heyday. Stipules absent.

The inflorescences arise directly from the host plant and are surrounded by a ring of host tissue. The flowers are scattered across the 4 to 15 cm long flower stem. The hermaphroditic, flowers are radial symmetry protandrisch and have a diameter of 0.6 to 1.5 cm. The perianth is reduced in Mitrastemon matudae the perianth is still vierlappig. The ten stamens are fused Roehrig and surrounded the superior ovaries, so that the top remains only a small opening. The scar is hemispherical. As pollinators, flies, bees, wasps, butterflies and birds ( honeyeaters Ornithophilie ) were observed.

Are formed beer like fruit capsules that contain many small seeds. The seeds are yellowish to dark brown.

Dissemination

You have a disjoint area; for a Central America, on the other Southeast Asia, Japan and New Guinea.

System

The genus is in its own family Mitrastemonaceae. Sometimes this genus is classified in the Rafflesiaceae.

The genus Mitrastemon and thus the family consists of only two types:

• Mitrastemon matudae Makino: Your home is Central America ( Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras) and Colombia.
• Mitrastemon yamamotoi Makino: Your home is South East Asia, parts of the Malay Archipelago, Japan and New Guinea: Mitrastemon yamamotoi var kanehirae ( Yamamoto ) Makino ( Syn: Mitrastemon kanehirae Yamamoto ): It is a root parasite of Castanopsis and Lithocarpus on Taiwan.
• Mitrastemon yamamotoi Makino var yamamotoi ( Syn: Mitrastemon cochinchinensis Nakai, M. kawa - sasakii Hayata, M. sumatranus Nakai, M. yamamotoi kawa f - sasakii ( Hayata ) Makino, M. yamamotoi var kawa - sasakii ( Hayata ) Makino. )

Swell

• The Mitrastemonaceae family on the APWebsite = Website of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (English )
• The family at the Parasitic Plants website ( English)
• Description of the genus in the Flora of China. (English )
• Mitrastemon matudae on the flora Mesoamericana website (Spanish )